Monday, December 31, 2012

New Years Eve 2012 is the 45th anniversary of the famed “Ice Bowl” — the 1967 NFL championship game. It was played in Green Bay’s Lambeau Field and televised by CBS. Besides the thrilling finish, the lore of the game was greatly enhanced by the -13 degree temperature. Today, in honor of the anniversary, we’re bringing you the game program from that day. We have chosen selections that feature football content, and ads that have a football theme. Let’s get to it.

Wisconsin-based Prange’s stores show their support for the Packers in their quest for a third-straight NFL title.

Head coach Vince Lombardi and his 1967 Packers’ staff of assistants.

The officiating crew for the game can be seen under the program’s table of contents.

A photo of QB Bart Starr passing in the 1966 NFL title game is used in this ad for Nekoosa Papers.

Dallas head coach Tom Landry and his staff of 1967 assistant coaches are profiled here. Landry and Lombardi served as defensive and offensive coordinators (respectively) with the New York Giants at the same time prior to their receiving offers to “run the shows” in both Dallas and Green Bay.

Your official 1967 Green Bay Packers team photo.

The Green Bay Packers Board of Directors in the 1967 season. In a couple of weeks, they would be called upon to deal with the retirement of Vince Lombardi. The decade of excellence was near an end.

The “official” officials’ set of signals, as they were in ’67.

The Packers’ administration and Executive Committee. As stated earlier, they would soon be choosing defensive coordinator Phil Bengston to succeed Lombardi as head coach.

After picking up some Bond Pickles, you can sit down and read about the Packers’ television broadcast crew — the inimitable Ray Scott, and legendary Green Bay ballcarrier Tony Canadeo.

The “shaggy dog story” of the Dallas Cowboys.

These folks used DT Ron Kostelnik to endorse their products and services. After eight seasons in Green Bay, Kostelnik played a final season in Baltimore before retiring. He lost his life in an automobile accident in 1993.

The full team lineup for the visiting Dallas Cowboys.

A great action photo of the Packers’ offense is used in this ad for a local business.

Due to the severe cold, the halftime entertainment was cancelled. One of the problems was that the lips of the band members would stick to their mouthpieces. This was learned by the referees and their metal whistles early in the game. The refs shouted “stop” or “play over” instead of using them the rest of the game. The “Wisconsin State University-Lacrosse” band would not perform this day. The school is known these days as UW-Lacrosse.

A two-page visual feature on the Packers’ defense.

As in other programs from this era that we’ve featured, they would spotlight players with photos on several pages.

The program centerspread with the “probable starting lineups.”

A great Coke ad showing the logos of NFL teams as they were in 1967.

Green Bay statistical leaders for the 1967 season.

The full Green Bay Packers roster for the championship game.

More Packers… two lesser-known, and one Hall of Famer.

A great page “autographed” by the players and coaches, thanking the fans for supporting the team through 21 consecutive sellouts. The number now stands at 310 consecutive sellouts.

Now, a couple of pages of Dallas players.

Small features on the team’s longtime equipment manager “Dad” Braisher, and trainer Bud Jorgensen.

More Packers from 1967 (above and below).

An ad featuring an entire Los Angeles Rams’ huddle of Bob Hopes.

Three pages of players from the ’67 roster.

After two more games, Josten’s would again make the Packers’ championship rings.

Six more Packers.

Yes, Channel 2 is still there in Green Bay as the ABC affiliate.

A great United Airlines ad showing not just the NFL helmets for 1967, but also the AFL helmets.

And we finish off the game program presentation with the 1967 Pro Bowl rosters.

Also for the 45th anniversary of the game, we present these two NFL productions. Happy New Year to everyone in Packerville, U.S.A.!

Saturday, December 29, 2012

While the Green Bay Packers prepare to take on the Minnesota Vikings in a key season-closer for both teams, we’re opening the time capsule to look back on another divisional match — the December 7, 1986 game at Lambeau Field.

Packers LB Brian Noble does a bit of endorsing for Bertrand’s in Green Bay.

Hall of Fame player (but not Hall of Fame coach) Forrest Gregg was at the helm of the 1986 Packers, who would finish the season with a forgettable 4-12 record.

Coach Gregg’s staff of assistants that he assembled for the ’86 campaign.

A framable action photo of your starting QB Randy Wright!

A three-page feature on Packers’ S Ken Stills.

We missed this stylish Packers jacket back in the day.

A summary of the Packers’ statistics for the 1986 season, and who says the team didn’t have cheerleaders to rival the Dallas Cowboys?

We still listen to the post-game show on WTMJ 620 AM (Milwaukee), usually via internet for clear reception once the sun goes down. Do you?

Three pages of head shots of your 1986 Green Bay Packers.

The full roster of the ’86 Packers, for your reference.

Above and below, the starting lineups for both teams that December day in Titletown.

The full roster for the 1986 Minnesota Vikings.

Don’t forget to set your VHS or Betamax VCR for The Forrest Gregg Show every Monday night.

An ad for the company who erected the original indoor practice facility.

Also suitable for framing — the official 1986 Green Bay Packers team portrait.

Game programs in those days (GameDay magazine, an official PRO! publication) featured many “national” articles, which appeared in all team editions. Each team would then fill in the rest of their own game-specific material. This article on the old All-America Football Conference (AAFC) is historically interesting.

On this day, 47,637 watched the hapless Packers fall to the eventual 9-7 Vikings by a score of 32-6. The defending NFL champion Chicago Bears won the NFC Central with a 14-2 record.

Mr. Lambeau at Lambeau

About Me

A life-long Green Bay Packers fan, stockholder, and season ticket holder who lives in Illinois... 208 miles from Lambeau Field.
Packerville, U.S.A. exists to share the experience of being a Green Bay Packers fan with other fans around the world. Some readers may never get to a game, or to Green Bay, or even to the United States. Our posts are for those fans — letting them experience what it’s like to be a season ticket holder, a shareholder, and to live (part-time) in Green Bay, Wis.